From the Pasture — November Windbreaks, Warm Bellies (short)

Yesterday the rain turned to needles. Not a downpour, not yet snow—just that November blend that works its way through wool and into bones if you let it. We walked the fence line and swung the gate toward the hedgerow, the kind of small decision that makes a big difference: wind at the back, ground a touch higher, the lay of the land offering shelter without fuss. You could hear it in them—the flock quieted, heads down, chewing turning steady again.

One insight: in a cold rain-snow mix, wind matters more than wet. Give sheep a lee side and a dry lie, and top them with a flake of clean, stemmy hay before the worst hits. The rumen is a furnace; feed it early and it throws heat through the storm. Today the posts flash like boundary markers in a gray sea, and the flock keeps to the calm. Not dramatic—just the kind of November adjustment that keeps everyone warm enough to carry on.